One of the many women who accused Marilyn Manson of sexual assault has retracted.
Ashley Morgan Smithline claimed in May 2021 that the musician raped, brainwashed and cut her during their relationship. She was one of ten women who accused Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, of sexual assault.
However, in a legal filing obtained by Page Six on Thursday, Smithline retracted its story. She also claimed that Evan Rachel Wood, who first came forward to Manson as her alleged attacker in February 2021, “manipulated” the model to make accusations against him in the first place.
“We bowed to pressure from Evan Rachel Wood and her associates to press charges of rape and assault. [Manson] were not true,” Smithline said in the new legal filing obtained by the outlet.
Smithline said she was admitted to group meetings with other Manson victims in 2020 and was repeatedly told by participants that she had been “whipped, bound, bound, branded, cut, attacked in her sleep, beaten or raped” by to Manson, but he did. I do not remember. This.
Smithline claimed he told them it “didn’t happen to me”, but said Wood went on to suggest “just because he didn’t remember” that “doesn’t necessarily mean it didn’t happen” and that he should have to tell Smithline that he just “repressed.” those memories.
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“Although I knew at first that Mr. Warner did not do these things to me, I eventually began to question whether he really did,” Smithline said in the deposition.
A representative for Wood did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Smithline said she was so convinced she allowed Wood’s partner, Illma Gore, to post “false statements” about “violence and non-consensual sexual activity” on her Instagram in February 2021. Smithline became the fourth woman to sue her on Manson in June of that year. year.
Smithline’s lawsuit alleged sexual assault, sexual assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress, human trafficking, wrongful imprisonment and more, Rolling Stone reported. She claimed that Manson promised to cast her in a movie, only for her to begin an abusive relationship.
On “The View” in June 2021, Smithline claimed that Manson “had sex with my unconscious body” and “made it clear that my life was definitely in danger.” She claimed in the filing that Wood “advised” her to come forward. Smithline’s case was dismissed last month.
“She was a reluctant participant from the beginning,” Howard King, Manson’s attorney, told Page Six. “For a moment, after being questioned so many times by Evan Rachel Wood about this ‘repressed memory’…she believed it for a minute.”
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King added that Smithline’s attorney, Jay Ellwanger, was “gifted” to him by Esme Bianco, a fellow accuser of Manson’s, who settled out of court in January. Ellwanger allegedly drafted Smithline’s complaint “without talking to her about what the actual allegations were” before filing it.
Smithline also echoed King’s statement to Page Six that she was not paid to drop her allegation and said she felt “manipulated by Ms. Wood, Ms. Gore, Ms. Bianco and Mr. Ellwanger to publicly spread allegations false allegations of abuse against mr. Warner.”
While not all of the more than a dozen women who have accused Manson of sexual misconduct have filed complaints in court, there are two women — one of whom was a teenager when Manson allegedly assaulted her — whose cases remain open.
I need help? Visit RAINN’s National Online Sexual Assault Hotline OR National Sexual Violence Resource Center website.
